Blood Story
by Listelia
Summary: Hwang Soon-Bum worst fear becomes true... (Set somehow in early season 2) And my take on how Tae-yeon and Soon Bum met... (loads of bromance and misunderstandings ahead !)
1. How to pick the worst place

**How to pick the worst place**

Detective Hwang Soon-Bum knew it was bond to happen someday.

Actually, it has been the thing he was the most afraid of.

_Bloody heck, what were you expecting with such a habit ?_

Even the doctor-in-the-bar agreed, when he was still alive. It wasn't anything healthy to drink blood from _dead_ people. Everytime Min Tae-yeon went his 'gurgle-bend over-blue eyes flash-tell you who's the murderer' way, the detective was expecting things to turn bad.

_Victim with tetanos, check._

_Blood poisoning recipient, check._

The prosecutor always made light of his friend's fears. Apparently, vampires were perfectly immunized against whatever sickness.

Still, Soon-Bum kept worrying – and apparently, he had been right.

It wasn't a special Friday. On Thursday, they had found the murderer fast as lightening. With just the first blood drops, Min Tae-Yeon had seen a hidden door closing up on the fleeing assassin. Next thing the team knew, clumpsy detective Hwang found _by chance_ an secret button that opened a secret chamber, and everything you needed to pin up the suspect was in their hands.

When they were called, that morning, even prosecutor Yoo was a good mood. She said she hoped their luck – _morelikely good old vampire blood preview_, thought Soon-Bum for himself – would still be with them and they would wrapp up the case as fast as the day before and leave for a well-deserved week-end.

Trainee Choi Dong-man was chit-chatting happily with a policewoman, trying to look tough and just looking cuter by the minute.

The body was sprawled in a courtyard, blood streaming through weeds and lonely dandelions. It was a man in his fourties, dressed in a worn-out dark blue suit. For some reason, the murderer had taken the shoes and the socks of his victim with him. The killer blow was – so far – a deep wound under the armpit.

- "Do we have a name?" asked Soon-Bum, keeping an eye on Tae-yeon who was putting on his sunglasses.

- "Kim Deok-man, 46", answered prosecutor Yoo, coming back with her little notebook. "He lived upstairs, in the left appartement. The landlord didn't hear a thing, he was completely drunk. He found him this morning, on his way to… pee. We might get more details with the rest of the neighbourhood."

- "Nothing out of the ordinary, then", said the detective. He slid back his own notepad in his trousers' pocket and rubbed his hands. "Okay. Good. Let's have a look around."

Jung-In and Dong-man picked their side of the street and went off to ask the usual questions, the young woman bullying the kid, like any other time.

- "Shall we… ?" asked the detective, turning to Min when fewer people were left around.

The ambulance was gone with the corpse and Doctor Jo. The good man had already taken a blood sample.

The prosecutor shrugged, with a blasé expression, but his friend didn't get it wrong. There was a glimpse of mischief in the young man's eyes.

- "I wonder how you did your job before me… did you really _pass_ the detective exam ?" muttered Tae-yeon.

- "Shut up and gulp down your snack", growled back Soon-Bum in a low voice, trying not to laugh.

It was a lovely morning – except someone was dead, of course. Bright sun, nice fresh breeze, smell of grilled sausages and the promise of two days off coming soon.

They went to the old fashion roof and the detective leaned on the fence, taking the warm sun in, while the prosecutor sat on a piece of junk to drink the sample of blood.

Like every other time, his eyes flashed and turned blue, he stiffened and got lost in the vision, then bent over, gasping in pain.

Hwang raised his eyebrows with a sigh.

Sure, the whole process helped a lot, but he _really_ didn't like what this was doing to his friend.

- "You okay?"

- "Hum…" grunted Tae-yeon, standing up. "You're never gonna believe this."

- "What did you see?"

The young man dust off his knees, looking slightely amused.

- "The murderer appears to be some old lady. Probably out of her mind, I guess. I'm sure Yoo Jung-In will have her brought in even before we give the clue."

Soon-Bum did his bear-like dance of joy.

- "How do I love this kind of investigation? Case closed in less than two hours! We're so good!"

They went downstairs and the older man sat on the last step with a happy grumpf.

- "Let's wait for the kids to be back", he grinned. "And then, let's have lunch together to celebrate."

The prosecutor smirked, head tilted aside, arms crossed like always.

- "Are you gonna treat kimchi to the old lady as well?" he asked. "Because I think you might en-"

He stopped and the rough detective shot him a glance.

- "I might? Watch out what you dare say, boss. I-"

But the joking threat died on his lips. Tae-Yeon was holding his stomach, looking in pain, even paler than usual. His eyes widened suddenly and he stumbled into the backyard.

Soon-Bum followed him immediately, feeling his old fear grow like a black hole in his chest.

He found his boss emptying the contents of said stomach onto a pile of garbage, a hand on the stoned wall.

- "What's going on? Are you sick?"

Tae-yeon didn't bother answering.

- "Where is this coming from? Did you sleep with your feet in the cold? Vampires don't get pregnancy nauseas, do they?"

- Are… you.. kid…ding… me? panted the young man with a glare, before chucking up again.

Soon-Boom was now in official panic mode.

_Great. This was great._

He was now dealing with a vampire who was belching just the only thing he had gulped down in months : blood.

_If anyone found out, they would go frantically into the only possible explanation : "OMG! He's got throat cancer!"_

Spilled blood was staining the ground so very near the location of a murder that had just occured.

_If anyone analyzed the little red puddle, they would probably find DNA from the Thursday victim AND from prosecutor Min._

_How on Earth could you make up for a good explanation to THIS ?_

Detective Hwang scratched the back of his head.

- "We're screwed", he concluded. "I'm sorry. I'll go down with you."

Leaning on the wall, looking exausted, Tae-Yeon still managed a half-smile.

- "Hyung. Are you gonna tell them you're a vampire too?" he slurred.

And then he started throwing up again and Soon-Bum felt like crying, as he made soothing circular motions on the young man's back.

Things were _so_ messed up.

And it was going to turn even worst, because Jung-In and Dong-man were back with a tiny older-than-your-own-granma lady and they were asking the forensics where were gone their teammates.


	2. How to write the worst scenario

**How to write the worst scenario**

Dong-man looked pretty disgusted and a little sorry.

Jong-In looked quite puzzled and slightely worried.

- "What happened?" she asked.

Soon-Bum had the feeling she was charging him with whatever reasons had led to this situation.

- "I dunno", he said. "He's sick."

- "Yeah. I can see that", she groaned. "Take him home, do somethin'. I'll finish the job."

She turned her back to them and walked to the landlord, still holding the little old lady by the arm.

_Gosh, this woman can be so heartless_, thought Soon Bum, disapointed. _Here is the hero. He's having some troubles. He needs you, princess._

Apparently, princesses didn't do the whole support job anymore.

Tae-yeon breathed through his teeth. He was so pale the sun reflected on his face. He was visibly trying to hold himself together.

-"I'm fine", he obviously lied. "Hyung, I need you to-"

He stumbled, cupping his mouth in a comic gesture of despair, and quickly went back to the garbage corner.

- "Yuck", said Dong-man with a pity look.

- "Say that again and he'll kill you", snapped in Soon-Bum.

He sort of knew why they didn't care much, but this wasn't at all the best payback time. Their seemingly cold-hearted boss kept them at distance for their own good and the detective was eighty percent sure prosecutor Min could have been a lot more friendly, minus the weight of his once-missing-now-turned-into-a-vampire-sister personal history. And the fact he, himself, might suddenly freak out and bite them to their death.

_But somehow, you couldn't explain this in short meaningful sentences._

_And you didn't – didn't – want them to go look at the vomit, either._

_Since it was just plain blood._

_BLOOD, do you copy?_

Soon-bum was feeling very sorry for himself and very worried about his friend. He grumpily dissmissed Dong-man who took it personal and looked like a kicked-puppy, and went back to Tae-yeon.

- "Any better?" he asked gently.

- "Whaddya th-ink?" stuttered his boss, with a tired – but still furious – glare.

- "Now you know how we feel when we're hungover" detective Hwang couldn't help slid in.

- "I _already_ knew", huffed the prosecutor, looking drained. "I was once human, you punk".

He swayed.

- "_Punk_? You're hurting me, y'know", complained softly Soon-Bum, catching him up. He put his arm around the young man's waist and slowly led him to the car. "Don't pretend you're okay, Tae-yeon-ah, you're being even more stupid than I am."

- "You're not stupid, Hyung", mumbled Min, as he sank heavily in the passenger seat. "You're one of the most intelligent cop I've ever… met…"

- "I know, I know. Let's go back home, okay? I'm sure you'll be fine after a little red drink… _Aigoo_ – I wish your friend doctor-barman was still in this world…."

- "Who?"asked Yoo Jung-In's voice behind him.

- "_Acht_! You startled me!" growled the detective, breathless. "When did you come here?"

The young woman frowned and crossed her arms.

- "Once again, secrets, eh? Seriously, guys…"

- "There are _no_ secrets!" yelped Soon-Bum, holding up his hands.

The sun was high, now. The smell of grilled sausages was gone and it was starting to be hot. Sweat glistened on the detective's forehead.

He just wanted to get out of here, collect his whirling thoughts and put a stop to whatever was happening to the prosecutor.

_This day was SO wrong._

Yoo Jung-In softened.

She didn't understand what was the problem, why the happy-go-lucky detective was making such a fuss over a simple stomach bug.

But she could see how weirdly vulnerable her boss suddenly looked. And she could sympatized with feeling in pain. And she liked Soon-Bum, too. She couldn't stand to watch the big guy so febrile.

- "What can I do?" she scoffed.

- "Er… well… maybe…"

Detective Hwang was talking gibberish again.

Something pulled at her sleeve and she looked down. Prosecutor Min's eyes, glossy with fever, were trying to focus on her.

- "Thanks… for doing your job… Jung-In-ah".

Her cheeks warmed up.

- "O-kay", she managed, pushing away his hand.

_Awkward…_

She bit her lips.

His fingers were insanely cold. Maybe this was worth Soon-Bum's little show of panic…

- "Hurry, get him home, _sunbaenim_", she ordered. "I'll come check on him later. I'll bring the results of the interrogation", she added after a pause.

If this was just the influence of going-nuts-for-nothing Soon-Bum, she would need a good reason to show up at her boss' place.

Detective Hwang finally got in the car. He shut the door, fumbled with the keys, noticed the prosecutor's belt wasn't on and leaned over to fix it, letting the engine die in a jolt.

Now, Yoo Jung-In was no more worried. She was pissed off.

Dong-man watched in awe, as she opened the car door and scooped the detective out with the strengh of a true gangster heiress.

-"Lemme drive", she roared.

38 seconds later, Hwang Soon-Bum was pulling his hair in fear on the back seat.

_This couldn't get any better._

He still didn't know what was happening and if it was potentially deadly to his friend.

And now, any minute, with all the blood smell on his clothes, Tae-yeon could turn into a vampire right under the young woman's eyes.


	3. How to make the worst choices

**How to make the worst choices**

Detective Hwang pushed the door with his shoulder and stumbled in Min's flat, supporting his friend.

- "Here we are…" he sighed with relief, finally getting to the sofa where he dropped his friend.

For someone who only drank a teensy tube of blood twice a week or so, the man was insanely heavy.

- "Why do men need to exercise that much?" hissed Jung-In, massaging her own shoulders. "Muscles are just – dumb!"

Soon Bum agreed without thinking. Sweat was streaming down his face and he definitely needed to change his shirt.

- "Okay", he said, taking in a big breath. "Let's get to your bedroom, and then it's over. Don't let me down on that, understood, …"

- "I'm _not_ going into his bedroom!"

- … Tae-yeon-ah?" finished the detective, giving a reproachful eyebrow to the young woman.

She opened her mouth than closed it down, humiliated. Her face reddened and Soon Bum prepared for one of the tantrum she knew so well to throw.

But nothing happened, because Tae-yeon got up weakly, steading himself on an armchair.

- "You guys can go", he dismissed them with a wobbly hand gesture.

He was trying to be grand and all, like usual, but his forehead was also glistening with sweat, and it probably didn't have anything to do with the summer temperature. His other hand was still pressed against his stomach. He coughed and grimaced at the taste of it.

- "I'll be fine, thanks anyway, I…"

He stopped and swallowed hard. Looked down, visibly bracing up, then turned to Soon Bum with sudden pleading eyes, biting his lips.

-"On it" hurried the detective, getting his point right away.

He hurled his friend into the bathroom and prosecutor Yoo passed a hand on her face, giving up.

- "We'll be fine", popped in the big guy, with a grin. "You can go."

He actually _shooed_ her out.

- "Sure", grinded Jung-In dangerously. "I let you deal with him and tomorrow, we can bury the boss and send him to heaven with all due respect. Lemme in."

The detective was going to regret all his life the missed opportunity to emphasized how a woman should be more embarrassed to go into a man's _bathroom_ than into his bedroom.

But at the very moment, he didn't realize. He was too happy to get help. Easing their boss out of his shirt and trousers took them a while for several reasons.

1) The retching wasn't stopping and Yoo finally noticed _what_ was wrong. She was making all sorts of crazy assumptions and laments. She actually dialed _911_ before Soon Bum had the time to stop her.

2) The retching wasn't stopping so they had to pause almost every minute and let him rest a little and catch up his breath.

3) Prosecutor Yoo hands bugged when the shirt was finally off and she had to recover from the sight of the fitted body displayed in front of her. The detective found it somehow annoying but, at this point, Tae-yeon himself didn't bother anymore. He stayed on the tiled floor, shivering and feeling utterly miserable.

4) It took some argument to get the woman OUT of the bathroom when it came to the trousers, but Soon Bum wanted to be quickly over with it and had learned from his previous experience.

They finally helped the young man to his bed, in which he crawled gratefully.

- "Thanks…" he murmured, exhausted, burying his feverish head into the cold pillow.

- "You're welcome", smiled the detective.

He made sure to pull up the sheet and patted the bin he had brought to the bed.

-"If you feel like... again... you know. Well. All your gear's here, Tae-yeon-ah" he said gently. "I'm sure you'll be okay in a while."

He was trying to be positive, but it was his first time seeing his friend this weak since the injury he had almost died from, a year ago.

_And this time, their savior-knows-it-all-doctor-barman wasn't around._

- "I'll get you a drink, boss!" shouted Jung-In from the kitchen. "You must be completely dehydrated! _Sunbaenim_! If he's still throwing up blood in two hours, I'll definitely called _911_ and don't you dare stop me this time!"

- "If only you knew how long he's been spitting blood, you'd freak out, little missy…" muttered the detective, looking up in a comic motion.

- "Did you say anything?" she shouted back, going about, searching through cupboards and drawers for God knew what, making an awful lot of noise.

- "Yeah, sure!" shout back Soon Bum. "I am _SO sorry_", he added for his friend with a grin.

The prosecutor writhed in pain on the bed. He found a better position, curled up under the sheet and a very cold hand reached out and grabbed Hwang's wrist.

- "Please… get her _out_… of here."

The detective nodded thoroughly.

- "Don't get yourself worked up, I will."

Tae-yeon opened his eyes and gathered all his strength to shot an exasperated look at him.

- "She _can't_ be looking around" he grinded.

-"Ha!" exclaimed Yoo Jung-In at this moment, in the kitchen. "How come you have _nothing_ in your fridge? Why is it even on?"

Soon Bum sprinted in just in time to stop her from opening the freezer.

- "Okay, all right." He cooed. "You've done a lot, Jung-In-ah. Just go home now. Or to the office. Whatever you like, okay? I'll take care of things here."

She look at him with her special disappointed curled lip.

- "Are you making fun of me?"

- "I'm not", pressed Soon Bum. "I promise. Now, can you please go away?"

The words didn't sound as nice as they had formed in his brain, but hopefully the idea got through.

- "I'm off" growled the young woman, grabbing her purse from the armchair it had landed in at their arrival. "Be happy together, have a wonderful life and don't send me postcards."

She stormed out and slammed the door.

The detective went back to the bedroom with another sigh of relief, only to find the vampire looking alarmingly like a corpse.

- "Tae-yeon-ah! Prosecutor Min! Hey! You bloodless toothy punk!" he begged, shaking a deadly cold hand that didn't respond.

Tears filled his eyes as the claws of his old - very real and very present - fear closed up on his heart.

- "Please! Say something! Don't die on me, Tae-yeon! Don't you dare dying from the blood of a drunk bastard!"

- "You're loud…" whispered his friend, turning his face to him, a fading smile on his discolored lips. "Is she… gone?"

Soon-bum managed a nod, his throat completely blocked.

The young man closed his eyelids for a second, looking relieved, then looked at his friend with clear brown eyes.

- "Now, listen… get… get me a pouch… and call" – a grimace of pain – "doctor Jo…"

- "okay!"

Min's grip on the detective's hand became more insistent.

- Hyung… can you.. will you…"

Soon-Bum wiped the stupid tears that kept making his vision blurry.

- "Yeah?"

- "You're…. you're strong… enough… aren't… you?"

The detective frowned - then understood.

He smiled.

- "Sure", he answered softly. "Don't worry. I won't let you bite off my arm or Doctor Jo's neck. I'm bigger than you, y'know."

-"Go-ood…" stammered the young man, sinking down in the pillow.

And then his eyes flashed with bright blue and his body arched violently as his fangs appeared.

This was when Hwang Soon-Bum promised himself not to ever again promise something he wasn't a hundred percent sure to be able to keep up with.


	4. How to meet the worst day

**How to meet the worst day**

It took a while and it was the scariest thing he ever had to go through, but Hwang Soon-Bum managed to win the fight.

Not that he could actually rejoice about it.

He had wrestled with the prosecutor, cursing and crying at the same time, nailing the vampire on the bed with all his strength, bruising his best friend's wrists and crashing the young man's chest with his elbow. Tae-yeon's fangs had finally disappeared as his labored breathing slowed down. Blue fury in his eyes had turned into weary brown and he had given in into unconsciousness after a last jolt.

Hwang Soon-Bum sat on the edge of the bed, mopping Tae-yeon's forehead with a cold cloth.

- "You're so damn strong", he told the prosecutor. "Even in this state. If all your… well, if the others are the same, I really don't want to have to face a healthy vampire any time soon."

He massaged his forearms. Then he had a little smile, while he soaked again the cloth in a the bowl on the night table.

- "But I bet you have to be a lot stronger to control yourself. Thank you, Tae-yeon. For all the time you restrain your… _blue_ side so you can protect us."

His friend didn't react.

He was laying still, eyes closed, damp locks of messy dark hair on his whitened face, a curled hand abandoned on his pillow.

Soon Bum chuckled.

_So child like._

The detective put the cloth back and sighed again.

- "What happened to your vampire healing power today ?" he murmured. "Are the rules changing or what ? Was that dude's blood something different ?"

The young man didn't answer.

Dark circles under his eyes, cheeks sharpened by his pallor, a somehow bitter fold on his lips. The sheet had moved and uncovered a broad naked shoulder laced with an old scar.

Soon Bum darkened.

_So hero like._

He got up, went to the window to stretch his legs.

- "Why did it have to be you ?" he muttered with a glance to the bed.

He remembered very well the day he had met Min Tae-yeon for the first time.

It was the same day the young man got the scar.

_A very human scar, that no healing power could ever erase._

People kept thinking they had met two years ago, on the Min Jae-In case and both of them had never tried to say otherwise.

It wasn't all wrong.

It wasn't the whole truth either.

* * *

It was more than ten years ago, on a hot and sunny day too.

… _deserted streets going up and down in a blast of light, crispy sound of grasshoppers, distant chatter, and the loud echo of his running steps…_

He was panting and cursing under his breath.

He was in good form but the guy he was chasing really could have run a marathon.

Down the stairs – _taptaptap_ – around the corner of the street – _pffpffpff_ – skid and elbows up, let's keep the rythm…

He jerked back, almost colliding with a couple old ladies who were slowly making their ways across the street.

- "_Acht_! Just stay home eating rice crackers!"

The suspect was getting further and Soon Bum wasn't sure he still had enough stamina to catch up with the growing gap between them.

- "You punk! Wait for me! Er, sorry, ladies!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Then he saw _him_.

Some crazy chap, probably just coming out of police school, with a black suit and a pair of red sneakers. The guy appeared from nowhere, jumped over a fence, and threw himself from a terrace onto the suspect.

They rolled on the ground in a cloud of dust, wrestling.

Soon Bum caught up, sweaty and breathless.

He joined in the fight and a minute after, the both of them managed to immobilize the runaway. The detective finally sat on the suspect.

- "_Aigoo_! Who do you think you're giving a tour of _Mapo_ ? I live here, you little fry!"

- Get off, fatso! gurgled the prisoner, struggling to brake free.

He cuffed him after a last slap on the head, then turned to the young man who was panting, slumped against the wall.

- "You okay, kiddo? Thanks for the help. I didn't ask for backup, though. Who sent you?"

Dark brown eyes shot him a mischievous glare.

- "You'd have died out of breath before catching him up, old man."

Hwang stared at the cocky brat.

- "Round 1 over", chewed the suspect from underneath.

Messy black hair, satisfaction showing through white teeth smiling widely, tailored suit, nice tie.

And a handsome face.

_Daddy's boy_, thought Detective Hwang with a blasé furrowed eyebrow.

He got up and grabbed the suspect by his collar to help him up.

- "First day?" he asked shooting a warning look at the kid. "Wait till you're home to brag, coz' no one's gonna think you're a hero at the station, you know." He made a step then turned back with a thought: "And don't drop the honorifics if you want to live. I'm detective Hwang Soon-Bum. Believe me, you don't want to mess up with me. Well… see ya."

The young man stood up too. He brushed off his sleeves, then flashed an ironic smile.

- "I don't think so", he chuckled. "_Detective_."

He held out his hand.

- Prosecutor Min Tae-yeon. I talked to your colleague this morning and gave him the location of your suspect."

Soon-Bum's cheeks were on fire.

The tip had saved their brains from boiling up with frustration after 3 days.

He swallowed hard, reached out to shake the hand.

-Er…

He didn't want to say thank you to the _kid_ but had to say something to the _prosecutor_, obviously.

_Damn rules of politeness._

He breathed in.

- "I…"

The young man swayed, suddenly turning pale. His right hand went to his left shoulder and came back stained with blood.

- "Ha!" exclaimed Soon-Bum, forgetting his frustration right away. "You okay?"

- "Don't think so, dude", hissed the suspect. "Took you long, Dumbo…"

The detective's eyes surveyed the area and he noticed for the first time the knife covered with dust and blood.

_Must have happened during the fight…_

He tightened his grip on the suspect with one hand while the other looked for his cellphone in his trousers' back pocket.

- "Wait a minute, I'll call for an ambulance."

- "I'll be fine", cut in the young man, teeth clenched.

He managed a smirk.

- "Nothing more than a scratch. Let's get our friend to the station. Did you read him his rights ?"

- "_Aigoo_! You wanna smell of hero that much!" exclaimed the suspect. "Guess it's better than look like Mister Instant Noodles over here."

Detective Hwang slapped the nape of the man's neck, in an absent-minding way. He smiled.

_Kid's got guts, eh?_

Surely there was more under the nice outfit and handsome face.

- He knows what's in for him, all'right. Let's go.

They didn't walk alone very far. Policemen were coming down the street, with a skinny fox-looking guy in a dark blue suit.

- "Prosecutor Min! Where were you gone? Don't you know you're supposed to follow me like a duckling sticking to his momma? You punk! Come here! We'll see how to make you understand that"

- "Yes, _sunbaenim_… I'm sorry, _sunbaenim_…" answered the young man in a bored tone.

Soon Bum frowned.

_Didn't the boss noticed the stream of blood along the kid's arm? Clearly, these kind of reproaches could await for AFTER a hospital trip?_

He handed over the suspect to his partner, than brushed off his greasy bangs.

- "Excuse me, sir… I need your newbie. Some report at the station."

- "Can't this wait?" barked the skinny man.

- "Nope."

Something must have shone in his eyes – something probably slightly _murderous_ – because the prosecutor boss backed down and muttered his agreement, before leaving the place.

Min Tae-yeon looked at the detective, puzzled.

Hwang Soon-Bum licked his lips, rolling his eylids like this was really nothing of importance.

- "Let's go stitch up your arm, prosecutor Min", he said, without looking directly in the young man's eyes.

The kid had the nerve to snort. A happy sparkle shone briefly in his eyes and he followed the detective to his car.

* * *

_So much for a kid… you were already a man._

Hwang Soon-Bum returned to the bed and sat on the edge again. He changed the wet cloth, looking at his friend with a fond smile.

- "You always pretend everything's fine. Bad habit, Tae-yeon-ah. I told you before. You can rely on others. I don't need you to protect me. You don't have to be strong all the time… You can rely on me."

* * *

At the hospital, he had met the younger sister of the prosecutor and seen how Min Tae-yeon was protecting her from worrying.

- "I fell on a broken fence, while I was chasing after a suspect. It's just a scratch, wait for me a minute, than we'll go home."

_Yeah, sure._

The little girl had bought the lie with complete trust. She had waited behind the curtain and the young man hadn't uttered a moan during the stitching.

Detective Hwang was mistaken for their guardian and had to go sign some papers. He did it on behalf of the ugly fox-looking boss, filling up the form in order for them to get the accident-while-at-work insurance money.

When you looked closely, the tailored suit was super clean but quite old and the red sneakers had seen better days.

The little girl's school bag was brand-new and she wore a preppy uniform.

The form titled _statue : orphan. Younger sister in custody._

Detective Hwang left unnoticed after a last look in the exam room. The proud smile on the young prosecutor's face, as he told his excited little sister about the arrest and the way he was going to call for justice in court, reminded him of his first successes.

He wondered if you felt that way, watching a younger brother grow up.

He didn't go to the trial and never heard again of the young prosecutor.

When the corpse of a young girl showed up on TV with two holes in her neck, he wasn't working in Seoul and just stopped a few minutes to stare at the screen, trying to remember why she looked familiar.

Then he came back, years later, and met again the prosecutor on their famous case together.

Yes, this wasn't their first encounter, but it was the first time he met who everybody called "arrogant cold genius prosecutor Min Tae-yeon".

The happy bragging kid was no more.

He met a man who relied only on himself and didn't know how to smile any more.

So they didn't act like if they knew each other and for awhile, he thought maybe Min Tae-yeon had forgotten all about that hot and dusty day.

It was fine this way.

Life happened.

Vampire happened.

And then, one day, Soon-bum found himself answering to the prosecutor and realized he didn't know since how long he was being called "hyung".

* * *

The young man stirred in the bed. His eyelashes fluttered and his hand moved, as if he was looking for something.

Soon-bum grabbed it.

- "Coming back to the world, eh? Are you okay, Tae-yeon-ah? I'm sorry I had to be a brute."

The prosecutor didn't open his eyes. His hand squeezed weakly his friend's as a fading smile passed on his discolored lips.

- "It's 'coz you use… such words… you're not yet married, Hyung…"

- "_Aigoo_! Are you making fun of me?"

Detective Hwang laughed, feeling his fear and worry lighten a bit.

- "Are you… crying?"

He wiped his cheeks, surprised.

- "Ha. Weird…"

He had an embarrassed chuckle, then his eyes met Tae-yeon's gaze.

_Blue._

_Deep sky blue._

But the look inside was the kid's from the former days.

His eyes locked earnestly with the _vampire_'s eyes.

- "You'll be okay, kiddo, trust me", he said.

A glittering drop went down the young _man_'s cheek, silently.

- "Thank you, hyung."

Someone cleared his throat behind them.

- "I didn't know you had blue eyes, prosecutor Min".


	5. How to get the worst treatment

**How to get the worst treatment**

* * *

A tepid bead of sweat slid along detective Hwang's spine and got into his boxer shorts. He quivered, as bitten by an insect.

- "D-d-d-doctor Jo!" he stammered. " Long time n-n-no see!"

The old man raised a slightely mocking eyebrow.

- "Hardly a few hours", he corrected, amused. "I heard prosecutor Min didn't feel well - a text from Dongman - and I came to see if I could be of any help…"

He nodded, thoughtful.

His eyes were still on Tae-yeon.

- "I m-m-mean… it-t-t-t's… well… we… I … Min T'… v-v-v-vam… ho-how t-t-t-to explain…"

- "It's okay, _hyung_", said slowly the prosecutor.

He leaned on his elbows, tried to get up, did not make it.

- "The patient doesn't move", ordered the doctor, with a gentle voice.

He put his bag on the armchair next to the bedroom's door, removed his glasses, wiped them with his handkerchief, then opened his bag.

Soon-Bum was watching him, still shaking a little, opening and closing his mouth like a fish drowning.

A half-smile curled on the prosecutor's lips. He held out his hand and patted his friend's thigh. When he got his attention, he nodded.

_Everything's fine_, he articulated silently.

Fever shone on his forehead and in his sky blue eyes.

Soon-Bum sat back down in a daze, docile. The doctor made a step to approach the bed from his side, then realized he would have no space to pass unless he asked the big detective to move, and gave up. He went to the other side, adjusting his stethoscope on his ears.

- "Tell me a bit how you feel, prosecutor Min?" He asked, bending over the young man and pulling the sheet.

- "Bad", answered Tae-yeon with something of his sarcastic eyebrow.

The doctor laughed a little.

- "I can see that."

He lifted the T-shirt, put the metallic bit on the pale skin of the prosecutor's chest, moved it while listening carefully, then removed the stethoscope to feel delicately the stomach of the young man.

- "Detective?"

Soon-Bum didn't react.

- "Detective? Please?"

Min Tae-yeon had closed his eyes. He had winced several times under the pressure of the doctor's fingers and his breath had accelerated.

- "Detective Hwang!"

The man almost fell of his chair.

- "Yes, doctor?" He answered hastily, getting up and saluting mechanically.

Jo smiled, amused and a little moved.

- "Would you mind giving me the thermometer? In the left pocket, on the front. Yes, this one... Thank you."

He searched the pocket of his white coat and took out a disposable spatula, which plastic he tore.

- "Prosecutor Min? Open your mouth and say "ah", please."

- "Ha!" Soon-Bum exclaimed.

The old man shook his chin.

- "Not you, detective", he murmured.

Hwang Soon-Bum twisted his hands.

- "Er… doc… er, thee-ee-th… aren't… well… tee-eeth… 's no g-g-good… idea, you know …"

The doctor smiled sadly.

- "It's going to be fine, Soon-Bum-_ah_."

The familiarity stopped right away the detective who just watched with wide opened eyes, worried, without daring to add a word, while the doctor tried to slide the spatula in the vampire's mouth.

Blue eyes glistened suddenly.

- "D-d-d-d-do …"

- "Quiet", ordered the doctor.

His voice addressed the detective, but his piercing look stared at the vampire.

For a long minute, nobody moved in the silent room.

Then, slowly, the young man opened his lips and the doctor was able to look at his throat in between imaculate fangs.

Soon-Bum held his breath during the whole thing and almost died from asphyxiation before the end.

Doctor Jo ended his examination and got up after tucking in his patient.

He passed a hand through his grey hair, then sat down on the edge of the bed, thoughtful.

- "This looks to me like food poisoning", he said, puzzled. "Maybe just a simple stomach bug. Did he eat anything different, recently?"

He turned to the detective who rolled his eyelids, embarrassed, and cleared his throat.

-_Ahem_. I mean : did he _drink_ anything different?"

Tae-yeon coughed and made a face.

- "Nothing special", he murmured.

- "The blood of a dead man, but that's all", pleaded Soon-Bum, sheepish. "Yesterday as well, but it doesn't do anything to him, usually! I don't understand why… "

The doctor scratched his forehead.

- "I'll ask Dongman to analyze the blood of today's victim and to redo the examinations of the one from yesterday. You're quite sure there's nothing else? Is it very wise to do that, anyway? I mean, I suppose you …"

He broke off, noticing the misted look of the detective, then the eyes of the prosecutor - very clear in spite of the fatigue. He smiled friendly.

- "We'll find a solution", he said. "For the moment, keep up the diet, OK? And sleep. It never fails to do you good."

He got up, tidied up his stethoscope and left the bedroom after a last look towards the bed.

Soon-Bum followed, pulling the door behind him.

- "Aren't you gonna ask questions?" He whispered, febrile. "You saw his… you… he…"

Doctor Jo kept on smiling, patting the detective's shoulder.

- "Detective Hwang. I'll make a stop at the hospital and get some more pockets of blood. He is dehydrated - if we can say that - but I don't think he can swallow anything. I'll try putting up a drip. I suppose the blood group doesn't matter?"

He had a small affectionate laughter, watching the detective's face.

- "I can't say I knew it", he added slowly. "But when you've lived a lot, you learn to look around what people show in close-up. Prosecutor Min left to all his team members the possibility of seeing what he was - if they had the courage to face it."

He turned his head to the bedroom and darkened.

- "I'm glad you're by his side. He needs somebody to treat him like a human being. He _is_ a good man and he wants to protect us all."

Soon-Bum bit his lips, very touched.

- "Thank you, _hyungnim"_, he whispered.

The old man pressed his shoulder, then went away with a last smile.

The detective returned in the bedroom and sat on the bed's edge.

Tae-yeon had curled up. He opened his eyes.

- "You okay?" asked his best friend for _nth_ time of the day.

The prosecutor sighed.

- "I am cold…" he muttered.

Soon-Bum shook his chin, leaning against the wall behind the bed.

- "It's summer, though…" he commented, yawning.

He took off his sneakers, then stretched his legs on the sheet.

- "Sorry for the stink of my socks…"

He groped in search of a pillow, settled more comfortably on the mattress, sliding down a little.

- "Have a nap, okay? The doc said it'll do you good if you slept."

Tae-yeon did not answer, his eyes shut.

Soon-Bum held out his hand, pulled on the blanket to cover him a little more. He left his arm on the comforter, over the prosecutor's head.

He yawned again.

- "I'm hungry…" he mumbled, sleepy.

The sun streamed through the window, bathing the room in gold.

- "Tae-yeon, y'know… I'm glad we met, that day…"

Outside, a locust sang under the window. There were discreet, distant noises of voices, in the street.

He smiled.

Looked down.

Breathing quietly, the prosecutor had fallen asleep.

His face was snuggled up against the plump hip of the detective, his fingers rolled up on the dishevelled shirt.

- "Hey… you're asleep? Aren't you fast, really…"

Soon-bum's arm moved delicately and wrapped around the young man's shoulder with precaution.

- "Sweet dreams, kiddo…"

He yawned once again. Leaned his hairy head on the comforter behind and closed his eyes, satisfied.

* * *

When he came back, two hours later, Doctor Jo raised his grey eyebrows and had a silent laughter.

Detective Hwang had completely slid and snored quietly, mouth half-opened, spread in the bed like a big bear sleeping off his wine. Against him, curled up like a delicate cat, prosecutor Min slept soundly, still under the shelter of his friend's arm.


End file.
